Combined corset and skirt-supporter



(No Mom.)v

J. STONE.,

coMBINBD GORSET AND sgm'r sUPPoR-TBR. No. 352,163. Patented Nov. 9,1886.

u. Pneus Pnwwuummph'n. washing. n. c.

-' f UNITEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES STIONFVOF AURORA, ASSIGIWOR' OF TWO--THIRDS TO ALICE M. BALL, OF AURORA, AND ELIZABETH FLORSHEIM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED yCORSET, AND SK-IRiT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 352,163, dated November 9, 1886.

` Application filed October 26, 1885. Serial No. 180.900. (No model.)

.To all whom, it may oonqerm Beit known that I, JAMES STONE, of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skirt-Supporters for Corsets; and I do hereby declare that the following is` a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,`which form a part' of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvedskirtsupporter for corsets; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The dress-supporter herein shown as em.- bodying my invention consists, principally, of one or more outwardly-curved and verticallyarranged metal springs attached at their ends to the stiffening strips orbusks of a corset by yielding connections, permitting the downward movement of the springs, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating 2 5 my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the rear part of a corset with skirtsupporting springs attached thereto. Fig. 2

is a detail sectional view ofthe same taken vertically through one of the stays or busks 3o and springs shown in Figi. Figs. 3 and 4 v are similar sectional views illustrating other Ways of attaching the skirtsupporting springs.

In the said drawings, A indicates the body of t-he corset, B B the rear stays or busks, and C Cthe skirtsupporting springs, which are secured to the busks below the waist-line ofthe corset. Said springs,as shown and preferably constructed, are of volute form in their upper part, and have their upper ends bent inwardly andv downwardly and their` lower ends secured iiat against the busks, thus giving a form of spring favorable for sustaining the garments, and at the same time capable of readily yielding to pressure.

A preferred lconstruction in means for attaching the springs C to the stiffening strips or busks is shown in Figs. 1 and'2, in which the springs are connected at their upper ends with the lower ends of elastic straps D, se- 50 cured to the corset at points above the springs,

whcrebya downwardly-yielding connection is formed between the upper ends of the springs and the corset. Said straps D are, in the particular construction thereof hereinillustrated, located against the outer faces of the busks B, between the latter and the layer a of cloth covering said busks, and are secured to the cloth of the corset at the upper ends of the busks. In carrying out myinvention, however, straps maybe attached to the corset in other ways than that shown, as may be found convenient or practicable, with essentially the same result.

The lower ends of the springs (shown in said Figs. 1 and 2) are provided with longitudinal 65 slots c, and are connected with the busks by headed studs b in the busks 'engaging said slots. This construction, obviously,4 allows the lower ends ofthe springs to yield downwardly when pressure is applied to said springs, tend- 7o ing to flatten them, as occurs when they are Y brought in contact with the back of a chair or. Y seat, and also, in connection with the elastic straps D, enables the springs to yield bodily downward to a limited extent, and thus yieldingly support the skirt in a manner tending to promote the comfortof the wearer and to preserve a natural form in the dress.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the spring C is held immovably at its upper end by means of an cyelet passing through theQspring and the busk B. The lower end of the spring is in this case slotted and held by a stud, b, as beforedescribed, so that the lower end of the spring will yield downwardly when the pressure tending 85 to depress or iiatten it is applied thereto.

It is to be understood that the appended claims vcover the devices or parts therein set forth when said devices or parts are in form` to obtain or perform either, any, or all of the 9o advantages or functions obtained or performed by them inthe particular form thereof illustrated. 'i

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to employ, in connection with a corset, 95 skirt-supporters consisting of wire coils or rings'connected with suspender-straps, which pass over the shoulders of the wearer by means of inelastic fabric strips passing through and sliding in vertical pockets formed in the body Ico of the corset, whereby the strain coming upon the coils or rings is taken by the shoulderstraps independently of the corset, while the pockets in the latter operate to hold the coils in proper position.

The construction herein claimed differs from that above referred to by having the bent metal springs by which the skirts are supported sustained from the corset-bod y and connected with the latter by elastic connections, permitting a downward yielding of the springs, as hereinbefore fully set forth.

I claim as my inventionl. The coinbination,with a corset, ofaskirtsupporter consisting of one or more outwardly bent or curved inetal springs having sliding connection with the corset at their lower ends, and elastic connections uniting the upper ends of the said springs with the corset, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a corset and the stiffening-strips thereof, of a skirt-supporter consisting of one or more bent metal springs provided with slots in their lower parts, said strips being provided with headed studs engaging the slots, wherebya sliding connection is formed between the lower parts of the springs and the corsets :substantially as described.

3. The conibination,with a corset,of a skirt- 3o supporter consisting of one or more springs' movably connected at their ends with the corset, and elastic straps sustaining the springs, attaehedat their lower ends to the said springs and at their upper ends to the corset, substan- 55 tially as described.

4. The combination, with a corset and the stiffening-strips thereof, of a skirt-supporter consisting of 011e or more curved springs provided in their lower parts with longitudinal 4o slots, headed studs upon the stiffcning-strips engaging said slots,and elastic straps connecting the upper ends ofthe springs with the corset, substantially as described.

In testimony that Ielaiin the foregoing as my 4. 5 invention I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES STONE.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, M. E. DIYToN. 

